the children act
by ian mcewan
★★★☆☆
dates read: 5/29/23 - 6/2/23
"A fiercely intelligent, well-respected High Court judge in London faces a morally ambiguous case while her own marriage crumbles in a novel that will keep readers thoroughly enthralled until the last stunning page.
Fiona Maye is a High Court judge in London presiding over cases in family court. She is fiercely intelligent, well respected, and deeply immersed in the nuances of her particular field of law. Often the outcome of a case seems simple from the outside, the course of action to ensure a child's welfare obvious. But the law requires more rigor than mere pragmatism, and Fiona is an expert in considering the sensitivities of culture and religion when handing down her verdicts.
But Fiona's professional success belies domestic strife. Her husband, Jack, asks her to consider an open marriage and, after an argument, moves out of their house. His departure leaves her adrift, wondering whether it was not love she had lost so much as a modern form of respectability; whether it was not contempt and ostracism she really fears. She decides to throw herself into her work, especially a complex case involving a seventeen-year-old boy whose parents will not permit a lifesaving blood transfusion because it conflicts with their beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses. But Jack doesn't leave her thoughts, and the pressure to resolve the case - as well as her crumbling marriage - tests Fiona in ways that will keep readers thoroughly enthralled until the last stunning page." (taken from goodreads)
i don't think that there is much to say about the children act aside from the fact that i thought some parts were interesting and other parts were rather dull.
personally, fiona as the main character made the story relatively monotonous. her characterization dragged down an otherwise interesting plot. although i understand that fiona is supposed to be plain and predictable since she's a judge, a human vessel for the law, and therefore a rule follower. but with that being said, it makes for a relatively boring story or perhaps this novel just wasn't for me. her relationship with her husband was mildly interesting, but i didn't know much about him so it was difficult to feel invested in their marital issues. fiona was vastly underwhelming in comparison to the summary on the inner flap of the book cover. majority of the story involved her continuously avoiding uncomfortable conversations. while her point of view made it seem like she was doing a lot, in totality, she was actually doing a lot of nothing.
the only character i found intriguing in this book was adam, but he makes up a pretty short portion of the plot in terms of his actual presence. he added a lot of beautiful moments to a bland narrative, which i get was the point, but there comes a tipping point when the boring starts to outweigh the exciting. the vibrance of his character was so wholesome. most of my colored tabs are probably of adam's dialogue.
in addition to the characters of the book, one thing that i've always found funny is when music is an essential plot point in a novel. as a reader, skimming through words and lines, i obviously can't listen to the piano or the violin being played. i'm not automatically opposed to the involvement of music in literature, but i do think that it's difficult to write without being cliche or redundant. however, that's just my personal opinion.
lastly, this book introduces an interesting conversation on the parallels between religion and law. while reading you come to the realization that the two both function within certain, quite limiting, boundaries and an adamancy that is extremely demanding. religion can be seen to function in the same way that laws can, and laws can be seen to function in the same way that religion can. there is no middle ground when it comes to these two fundamental pillars of the world. amongst the two, their foundations are built and strengthened by belief. such logic is exemplified in the book through the conflict between adam's religion, and the law.
there were many special components of this book, but they were too loosely scattered and few in number. although mcewan's writing was beautiful, the plot didn't leave me feeling much of anything especially since i was able to predict the ending. if the summary entices you, i would say go for it, but for me personally, i don't think this book was attuned to my tastes, and that's okay. maybe it is for you.